Donahoe Racing's Edge 12.5" Suspension Lift

A suspension lift on a solid-axle leaf sprung truck is very

basic. The main component to achieve more height is simply

larger leaf springs. The Edge Suspension Kits from Donahoe

Racing are known for keeping the smoothest ride possible while

raising the truck.



The front of the kit uses leaf springs which are 8" taller than

stock. In addition, 4.5" shackles are used for a total height

gain of approximately 12.5". Depending on the specific weight of

the truck, total height gained can be a couple inches larger

than this.



The rear of the truck uses the factory blocks in combination

with new 8" lift leaf springs.



When a large lift is installed, it is necessary to correct the

geometry of the steering components. The main component of the

Cross-Over Steering is a new right front steering knuckle. This

piece allows the mounting point for the drag link to be much

higher than stock, descreasing the otherwise severe angle. In

combination with a longer pitman arm, the steering will feel and

handle like it's stock configuration.



With the suspension lift now completed, the tires and wheels can

be bolted on. Driving around with the stock tires on, draws

almost more attention than with the new tires on! To deal with

tire rotations and general maintenance, I decided to get a heavy

duty jack and jack stands. The jack is an air-operated

hydraulic bottle type. It's capacity is 20 tons (40,000 lbs.).

Should be enough :) . The jack stands have a capacity of 10

tons (20,000 lbs.).



The feel and quality of the ride has obviously changed. Larger,

more arched, leaf springs will naturally offer a stiffer

suspension. But, due to the additional weight of several

components on my truck, the ride is not nearly as harsh as you

might think. The added weight in the front comes from the winch

and bumper. In the rear, the cap, larger fuel tank, spare tire,

and tool boxes act to soften the larger leaf springs. My

overall impression of the ride quality is excellent. There is no

longer a sloppy, cushy feel, to highway driving. Slower city

driving also has a firmer, more controlled feel. Steering is more

precise and responsive. The right combination of parts has

created a more capale, better handling, and durable truck.

Bilstein 7100 Series Shocks

Once the truck is physically taller, new shocks are necessary

to deal with the increased suspension travel distace. In addition,

the stiffer leaf springs act as a catapult after compressing

and returning to their neutral position. Due to the stiffer and

more arched leaf springs, very little compression dampening is

necessary from the shocks. The main duty of the shocks is to

control the leaf springs while returning to their neutral

position. For this reason, Donahoe Racing had Bilstein build

shocks with a custom valving, beyond what they offer in their

main line up of shocks. The shocks have very little dampening

force, and a very high rebound force.



The shocks I am using are Bilstein's 7100 series. The extra

cylinder next to each shock is simply a reservoir for additional

fluid. This allows the shocks to run cooler. The hotter the

shocks get from use, the less their effectiveness becomes.



In the rear, there is only one shock per side. While in the front,

there are two shocks per side. This is due to the excessive weight

of the engine and bumper. The dual shock hoops are from

Donahoe Racing and part of the suspension kit.

High Angle Driveline Driveshafts

After the suspension lift was in place, the driveshafts needed

attention. Due to the increased height, the rear driveshaft was

now at a more severe angle. The front driveshaft was simply

not long enough to reach the axle anymore. The solution was

adding longer driveshafts with dual CV (constant velocity)

joints. The dual CV joints allow the driveshaft to operate at a

much more extreme angle than the stock driveshafts. The main

problem with the rear driveshaft was "takeoff shutter." Upon

acceleration from a stop, there was severe vibration of the

driveshaft. Once the vehicle was up to speed, there was very

little vibration.



High Angle Driveline specializes in heavy duty driveshafts. Once

your vehicle is lifted, all they need are some measurements.

They manufacture driveshafts to the new measurements with

dual CV joints built into the driveshaft. Here are the

driveshafts still in their shipping container. They are very well

protected when shipped! Installation is very straightforward.

Except for being quite heavy, they just bolt in place where the

old ones were. The front driveshaft came with a new pinion

flange. It took some creativity to tighten these bolts though.

The rear driveshaft also came with a new pinion yoke. It is

designed to eliminate the straps with u-bolts that hold the

driveshaft to the yoke. But, for now, the stock one will have

to do. I could not remove the pinion nut to get the old yoke off.

That sucker is ON there! I'll tackle it again in the future. ; )



The new driveshafts are a vast improvement over the stock

ones. They also offer peace of mind due to their improved

strength. Now, there is no vibration from the driveline at all.